Dredging machine



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet l.

T. Z. COLE. DREDGING MACHINE.

No. 415,501. Patented Nov. 19, 1889.

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immuni l Si' 1 (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. Z. COLE.V

DREDGI'NG MACHINE.

110.415,501. Patented Nov. 19, 1889.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-`Sheet 3.

T. Z. COLE.

DRBDGING MACHINE.

110.415,501, Patented Nov. 19, 1889.

@HMM 13 DRBDGING MACHINE( lvm-415,501. Patented Nov. 19, 1889.

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/fg I UNITED STATES THOMAS Z. COLE, OF NEIV ORLEANS LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO JAMES E. CAMPBELL AND DANIEL MCO/ONVILLE.

DREDGING- MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 415,501, dated November 19, 1889.

Application filed February 14, 1889. Renewed October 28, 1889. Serial No. 328,365. (No model.)

To a/ZZ 'whom 25 may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS Z. COLE, of New Orleans, in`the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain Improvements in Dredging Machines, of which the following is a specification.

In the operation of dredging-machines, particularly those which employ a laterallyswinging chain of buckets, it is necessary that the scow or hull shall be held securely in position and gradually advanced as the work progresses. The most satisfactory means yet devised for anchoring and propelling the scow are upright spars jointed to the boat and arranged to operate with a walking action on the bed or bottom. Heretofore the means employed for controlling and operating the spuds have been of an unsatisfactory character, the action beingin some cases unreliable and in others attended with great labor on the part of the attendants. The aim of myinvention is to avoid these defects and provide a simple mechanism through which the power of the engine may be applied, under easy control of the attendant, to operate and hold the spuds as occasion may demand.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an excavator-scow provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating the manner of advancing the forward spud. Fig. 3 is a top plan view showing the guides and operating devices of one of the rear spuds. Fig. 4. is a side elevation, on a larger scale, showing one of the rear propelling-spuds and connections for operating the same. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the spud and its supporting-carriage. Fig. 6 is a cross-section through the spud on the line 1 l of Fig. I, looking' in a downward direction. Fig. 7 is a plan view of a portion of the gearing for operating the spud. Fig. 8 is a cross-section on the line 2 2 of Figs. l and 3, showing the driving and reversing mechanism to control the spud on one side of the boat. Fig. 9 is across-section on the line 4 4 of the preceding figure, 7b and J 2 shown in dotted lines. Fig. l0 is an elevation of the cams for reversing the motion of the gearing. Fig. 11 is a sectional elevation of the gearing employed for lifting the spuds out of action.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a scow or hull, which may be of any ordinary construction, and provided with dredging machinery of any suitable character.

B represents a forward spud, which acts solely to prevent the scow fromswinging laterally. It consists simply of a spar passing down through guides on the side of the scow and bearing at its lower end on the bottom. These guides may be varied in detail, provided only they prevent the spud from tipping sidewise, but permit it to tip forward and backward as the scow moves endwise. As shown in the drawings, they consist of timbers b b, bolted to the scow and converging toward the upper ends to embrace and form a fulcrum for the spud, and of horizontal guide-timbers b2 b3, lying in a fore-and-aft direction against the sides of the spud.

The spud stands primarily in the position shown in Fig. l; but as the scow advances its upper end is carried forward therewith until it assumes the forward inclination shown in Fig. 2. NVhen this second position is reached, the lower end must be lifted and stepped forward. This is accomplished by means of chain D, attached to the lower end of the spud and carried thence upward and forward over guidepulleys d to an operating-Wheel d', which may be actuated from the engine in any suitable manner, although the preferred connections are hereinafter described. When the chain is drawn upward, it lifts the spud and causes the same to swing forward at the lower end, so that when the chain is.released the spud Aagain descends to the bottom in the advanced position. The rear spud C is also connected to the scow by guides, which prevent lateral motion, but permit it to tip backward and forward while in action. These guides may be varied in detail, provided they afford a fulcrum or bearing through which the spud operates with a lever action on the scow. In the form shown the guides consist mainly of the horizontal fore-and-aft guide-bars c c and the converging stop-bars c2 c3, all bolted securely in place. The spud slides freely up and down through an encircling yoke c4, sustained by horizontal trunnions c5, so that it may rock with the spud as the latter changes IOO its inclination. At a higher level the spud slides freely through a guide F, mounted on sustaining wheels f, 'traveling on the top guide-bars, so that it may be carried readily forward and backward. A chain f :1 is secured at its ends to the traveling guide F, and eX- tended forward and backward around guidepulleys f f2, and also around intermediate pulleys f3 f1f", by which the lower part of the chain is deflected to one side of the spud, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The pulley f is connected by reversing-gear, hereinafter descri bed,with the en gin e, and serves, through the chain, to operate and to hold the guide F, which in turn controls the spud, moving its upper end forward or backward, so that the boat is carried positively forwardor backward or held stationary, as occasion may require. A liftingchain G, attached to the lower end of the spud, extends upward through the yoke c4, over a winding-pulley g to a box g2, in which it accumulates as the spud rises.

Passing` now to the mechanism for operating the spud-actuating pulley f, lattention is directed to Figs. 4, 8, 9, and l0. The pulley f2 has its'shaft f6 extended inboard and provided with a fixed gear 7L, which constantly engages a driving-pinion 7L', fixed on a shaft 7a2, mounted in stationary bearings and carrying two friction Wheels 713 and 714. These wheels receive motion alternately and in reverse directions from friction-pulleys 71,5 and h6. Pulley h5 is fixed on a driving-shaft 7t7, carrying a pulley 718, through which it receives constant motionby a belt 7L or other connections of any ordinary character from the engine I or other motor. The shaft 7U is mounted at one end ina stationary bearing, but at the other end is sustained in bearing h1 on a vertically-sliding frame 7L11, the movement of which throws the pinion 715 into or out of engagement with the wheels 7b3. rlhis sliding frame carries at its top a brake-shoe k12, to act upon and hold wheel h3, and thereby the spud whenever the frame is lowered to an extreme position. rlhe second wheel h1 is driven and held by devices similar tothose just described, the shaft 7t13 of its driving-pinion being constantly driven from. the engine by pulley 7111, and mounted in bearing 7L15 on a vertically-slidin g frame h1, having a brake-shoe v7117 at the top. As the driving-pulleys h5 7d" turn in reverse directions,each must be thrown out of action as the other is brought into aci tion, and when the spud is to be held at rest both pulleys must be disengaged and one or i both of the brakes brought into action. These results are secured by means of a rock-shaft J, underlying the sliding fram es and provided with two cams jj', secured in reverse relations ,to each other, as in Fig. l0, and arranged to act against rollers in the respective frames. A pulley l7'2 is secured to the cam-shaft and provided with ,a controlling-cord j, ext-ending from its opposite sides to the deck or other point to admitof its being conveniently oper- By turning the cam-shaft to the right orV left one or the other of the pulleys will be thrown into action and the chain caused to throw the top of the spud forward or backward, as demanded. When either cam acts to raise the corresponding pulley into action, the heel of the other cam lifts the frame of the other pulley sufficiently to throw its brake out of action, without, however, engaging its pulley. Thus it is that both brakes are raised when either pulley is engaged.

The winding-pulleys C72 and g for lifting the spuds require to be driven only in one direction, as the spud will descend by gravity when released. I therefore actuate eachl of them by a mechanism such as shown in Fig. l1, similar to that in Figs. 8 and 9, eX- cept that there is no provision for reversing the motion. Pulley d2 has its shaft d provided with gear 6712, engaging pinion 113 on shaft e711, carrying friction-wheel C716. Driving-pulley C717 has its shaft in a bearing on sliding frame C718, carrying brake e119 and raised by cam d20, the shaft of which carries wheel C721, to be actuated by a hand-line.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. In combination with a propelling and anchoring spud, the scow having the fore-andaft guides and a fulcrum for the spud, the

lmovable truck or guide through which the erating-chain attached thereto, sustaining-4 pulleys for the chain, and a shaft geared to one of said pulleys in combination with the two friction-wheels,friction-pulleys arranged to rotate in reverse directions, movable supports through which said pulleys are sustained, and a rock-shaft having cams to raise said supports alternately, .whereby the spud may be caused to move forward or backward at will.

4. In combination with the tipping-spud, its actuating-chain and suitable connecting-gear, the friction-wheels to drive the same, the fric- I OS IIO

tion-pulleys and their shafts, the movable 6. In Combination with the seoW and a Vertieally-inovable spud fulerumed thereon, a traveling guide through which the Spud slides, a chain leading fore and aft from said guide, and supporting-pulleys for said chain.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 13th day of February, 1889, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

THOMAS Z. COLE.

Witnesses:

W. R. KENNEDY, PHIL. T. DODGE. 

